“The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience” -- Tolstoy
In a way, I dread the 4th quarter. I'm not talking about sports. I'm talking about the time of year. Admittedly, I get Grinchy. I get Grinchy because I'm overwhelmed. In family law, it's one of the busiest times of the year, interestingly enough. Why? Holiday pressures begin to build. Family traditions begin anew. Memories flutter to the surface. Patience and desire to continue the dispute for another year wanes. Suddenly, there is compromise where there was none before. A task or an action that was previously emphatically refused becomes doable. Clients are motivated to resolve their dispute. It's impossible to resist championing these causes. If it is possible to bring closure and satisfaction to a client, it is a task that needs undertaking. So, on top of a regular case load plus my own family, traditions, Santa Claus, parties, shopping, wrapping, travel, cooking, decorating, homework, end-of-year school projects, parades, recitals, shows, ahhhhhh -- deep breath -- ... I heap the once-dormant-but-no-longer cases onto the pile. And I get Grinchy.
Time and patience are hard to conquer. They are often at odds. My agenda is not necessarily my opponent’s agenda. I may try to force an action when, if I use weapons of time and patience more effectively, the results will be improved. I'm learning the value of Tolstoy's lesson.
This year I am a time warrior. I have several cases nicely positioned where as we turned into Q4 I predicted that the irresistibility of starting the new year "fresh" would open areas of settlement that were formerly shut tight. I anticipated the timing and how it would impact motivation and I used that drive and desire to effect satisfactory settlements. I’m using a sharpened time and patience blade to carve out satisfactorily resolved disputes ahead of schedule. Happy end-of-year!
As for me? I need an Elf and a Reindeer.
In a way, I dread the 4th quarter. I'm not talking about sports. I'm talking about the time of year. Admittedly, I get Grinchy. I get Grinchy because I'm overwhelmed. In family law, it's one of the busiest times of the year, interestingly enough. Why? Holiday pressures begin to build. Family traditions begin anew. Memories flutter to the surface. Patience and desire to continue the dispute for another year wanes. Suddenly, there is compromise where there was none before. A task or an action that was previously emphatically refused becomes doable. Clients are motivated to resolve their dispute. It's impossible to resist championing these causes. If it is possible to bring closure and satisfaction to a client, it is a task that needs undertaking. So, on top of a regular case load plus my own family, traditions, Santa Claus, parties, shopping, wrapping, travel, cooking, decorating, homework, end-of-year school projects, parades, recitals, shows, ahhhhhh -- deep breath -- ... I heap the once-dormant-but-no-longer cases onto the pile. And I get Grinchy.
Time and patience are hard to conquer. They are often at odds. My agenda is not necessarily my opponent’s agenda. I may try to force an action when, if I use weapons of time and patience more effectively, the results will be improved. I'm learning the value of Tolstoy's lesson.
This year I am a time warrior. I have several cases nicely positioned where as we turned into Q4 I predicted that the irresistibility of starting the new year "fresh" would open areas of settlement that were formerly shut tight. I anticipated the timing and how it would impact motivation and I used that drive and desire to effect satisfactory settlements. I’m using a sharpened time and patience blade to carve out satisfactorily resolved disputes ahead of schedule. Happy end-of-year!
As for me? I need an Elf and a Reindeer.